David Cameron: Scottish independence 'deeply sad'

Prime Minister David Cameron began his visit to Scotland today with the
message that he is ''a patriot for the whole United Kingdom''.

Mr Cameron made the case for the Union, saying it would be "deeply, deeply sad" if Scotland became an independent country.

The Prime Minister took a tour of the Quaker Oats factory in Cupar, Fife, on the day that it announced a £14.4 million investment and 30 new jobs at the site.

The Prime Minister repeated his insistence that businesses regularly question him about investment in Scotland amid the ''uncertainty about Scotland's future'' created by the independence referendum.

Speaking after Mr Cameron's visit, Richard Evans, the UK president of Quaker's parent company PepsiCo, said today's announcement ''is evidence that we are continuing to invest'' and suggested there could be more investment in the next 12 months.

''I've got Cameron blood, and I've got Llewellyn blood. I was born and brought up in England, I'm proud to be English but also proud to be British and I think many people in the UK absolutely feel that you can have all of these identities together, and that is the strength of the UK.''

When asked whether a Scottish patriot would prefer the seat of government in their home nation or in another nation, Mr Cameron said: ''I think what the Scottish patriot wants is to have decisions made locally in Scotland, for Scotland, but also be part of a larger entity - the United Kingdom.''

Mr Cameron added: "That (the UK) gives you enormous influence and reach that makes all of us, not just Scots but English, Northern Irish and Welsh people, stronger, richer, better protected and a fairer country.

"It's all of those things together. You can be a proud Scottish patriot and a proud inhabitant of the United Kingdom."

Prime Minister David Cameron tries some porridge during a visit to the Quaker Oats site at Cupar in Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Mr Evans, president of PepsiCo UK & Ireland, said the political environment of a country is a consideration when it makes investment decisions.

He said: "Control of the public purse gives us an environment where we feel safe to invest, where we can continue to invest into the UK, and that's what you see today with the investment that we have made over the last year, and I've got no doubt that there will be more investment coming in the next 12 months if we continue to grow as we do."

He added: "I think in terms of the Scottish question as it stands right now, there are no specifics that any business is going to be able to comment on."

When asked whether lack of specifics affects PepsiCo's investment decisions, he said: "The evidence of our investment is here right now, so rather than answering with hypotheticals, right now we've put £14.4 million into a site that we have put roughly £51 million into over the last decade, and we're creating 30 new jobs.

"I think that is evidence that we are continuing to invest in the business."

Mr Cameron welcomed PepsiCo's decision, describing it as "a vote of confidence" for the workforce and produce.

He added: "There's no doubt in my mind that if there's uncertainty about Scotland's future, there will be companies and business organisations that will start to ask questions about where to invest, and I hear that very directly as Prime Minister as companies raise that issue with me."